Real Adventures on a Cruise

[5waldos]

Occasionally people will talk about the adventures they are anticipating on a cruise- but most of them seem reasonably uneventful when it comes to real adventures. My cruises have been delightful, but hardly adventurous. I have read about some- the huge snowfall including feet of snow onboard, the Splendor trip with the fire- those are truly adventures. The kind of thing you look back on and say- Wow.

 

So- tell me about your adventures on board or in port. Would love to hear about them.

[Room Service!]

The only out of the ordinary adventure was a few years back when we were in 85 mph winds off Cape Hatteras. Was exciting. Barf bags hanging everywhere. Ship was rockin' and rollin'.

Most doors to the outer decks were taped off. Was hard to keep your footing.

We were not afraid, but would not like to encounter anything onboard more exciting then that.

[firefly333]

My friend on another board, got a flu shot just before going on a cruise to europe and was sick the days she had to pack. She has two little ones and faced with 23 hours of flight, she lives some out of the way place, St. Johns up near Canada I think. Plane missed her connections, she had to change to another flight, sit 3 hours on the tarmac.

 

I cant even tell you her whole adventure.

 

Oh yea.. she is on the ship without 3 or more of her carefully planned luggage suitcases. She has one little one still in diapers. Her flight story was so bad it sounds made up. she says doesnt europe have a law against sitting 3 hours on the tarmac? but she made the cruise after changing all the flights here and there.

[AWCHIEF]

I fell off my bar stool in Progreso. Just about the most excitement I have had on a cruise.:D

[fourcruisin]

Cruising on the Miracle last year when it slammed a concrete pier in St. Kitts. Put a gash in the ship that you could see through to the crew's quarters.

Carnival had to fly in welders and equipment from Miami and PR. We were delayed overnight but it was our last port and it didn't matter to us.

 

My dh said, "how are we going to get home?" My response was "who cares, we are in St. Kitts on a ship, Carnival is going to get us back to Ft. Lauderdale eventually."

 

They repaired the ship and a rep from Lloyds of London sailed back to Florida with us.

 

It was a good time and I have the pics to remember it by.

[NeuroQueen]

Running for what I thought was the last tender in Cabo San Lucas...first mistake, it wasn't even close to being the last tender. Went down what I thought was a step but it was a three foot rock wall. Needless to say I saw firsthand what the medical center was like while they picked out Cabo debris

From my knees and elbows. Have not drank Tequila since!!!

[Room Service!]

OUCH!

Did you wind up on YouTube? ;)

[5waldos]

OUCH!

Did you wind up on YouTube? ;)

 

Ouch!

[DEL67]

It depends on what you call an adventure. Do any of these count?

 

- Ziplining, white water rafting,or parasailing

- Driving a rubber raft-like boat in St Maarten on a windy day over choppy water when the boat actually left the water a couple of times

- Cave tubing when the current was strong enough to slam people against a wall

- Out walking the decks for exercise in high winds, pushing hard against the wind in one direction and being pushed in the other direction only to have them lock all the doors to the decks as a safety precaution 10 minutes after you went back inside.

- Having your wallet stolen in Rome

 

These may not be adventures for you, but they were for me.

[vacruizer]

Some rough seas is about as adventurous as my cruises have been.

 

Not a cruise, but was caught in Maui in the 2010 February tsunami evacuations. Husband and I were stuck on the opposite side of the island from where we were staying and where my parents were. We were on a guided sunrise tour and the roads closed and we couldn't get back. Sat on side of Haleakala for the day looking down below watching to see if we were about to witness mass destruction down below. Thankfully the actual wave only ended up being 3 feet instead of the 15 or 20 feet they originally thought when the warnings were issued. Wild to watch what the water did as is sucked out of the bays and then came back in, though.

[Blurgh]

Was out on top a few times during storm formations, which is beyond cool... and also ridiculously windy. :D I remember the floor buffers on Lido deck looking at each other, and one pointed at me and did the "thumb across the throat" gesture to the other. Guess they figured they'd be fishing my corpse out of the water. lol.

 

The day trip to Cancun was pretty interesting too. Dunno if anyone does that anymore.

Boxed lunch on the way up, unlimited beer on the way back. No bathrooms.

[golfadj]

Cruising on the Miracle last year when it slammed a concrete pier in St. Kitts. Put a gash in the ship that you could see through to the crew's quarters.

Carnival had to fly in welders and equipment from Miami and PR. We were delayed overnight but it was our last port and it didn't matter to us.

 

My dh said, "how are we going to get home?" My response was "who cares, we are in St. Kitts on a ship, Carnival is going to get us back to Ft. Lauderdale eventually."

 

They repaired the ship and a rep from Lloyds of London sailed back to Florida with us.

 

It was a good time and I have the pics to remember it by.

 

Wonder what they did to the capt?

[steveNcindy]

Wonder what they did to the capt?

 

He retired and opened up a new business near Orlando

 

[cuyahoga11]

He retired and opened up a new business near Orlando

 

 

OMG that is too funny

[fourcruisin]

Wonder what they did to the capt?

 

The Capt was fantastic wirh communications throughout the whole ordeal and keep us informed at all times. There was some talk amongst the passengers as to whose fault it was since it was very, very windy but it's believed the harbor pilot was in charge when the ship hit the concrete.

 

Regardless, I'm sure the Capt had a lot of 'splainin to do upon his return to Florida! lol

[5waldos]

My own story was not exactly on a cruise but on a ferry boat going over to the Greek Islands from a small port in Turkey. We hit what amounted to a hurricane- 30-40 ft seas, huge winds- I truly thought I was going to die. I already had travelers tummy, got violently seasick, and clung to an outside pole with a crew member wrapped around me so I didn't go overboard. The ship- all of about 60 ft long- was leaving the water and smashing down. We got to the greek port and it was closed so we had to turn around and go back. We got back to port and for 2 days were battered- no power, no news, no idea what was going on.

 

Everytime someone mentions to me a lovely cruise through the Greek Islands I begin to panic. Never- I could never imagine such a thing.

[neosmom]

My horror story was also on an overnight ferry boat trip from Italy to Greece. I was on a high school trip, and we hit a terrible storm shortly after dinner. Everyone on the ship huddled together in one of the lobbies, nobody could stay in their rooms. People got sick everywhere. I was so sick I couldn't even stand to go inside, so I sat all night on an outside deck huddled in a blanket with the sea spraying all over me. It was a terrible night, but the morning after pictures were quite funny. Quite a memory. Forgot to add the best part of the story....the name of the boat was the Poseidon.

[Room Service!]

Wow! Remind me to stay away from Greece. ;)

These last 2 'adventures' sound really scary. Glad you all survived to tell the tales.

[GInMom2]

Carnival Dream, October 8-15, 2011...Left Port Canaveral in a serious no-named storm. Butch said that if the winds were any stronger, the storm would have a name! The barf bags were out (and used quite a lot), people were falling (I think there were several injuries that first night), sick passengers, and sick crew members. Sail away events cancelled, pool sloshing out all it's water and closed. Well, we rocked, and rolled, and swayed, and slammed, and rocked, and rolled, until early Sunday morning before arriving in Nassau. All was well after that. Until....while sitting on the beach in St. Maarten, watching the coroner taking away a body bag off the Dream.

[5waldos]

Carnival Dream, October 8-15, 2011...Left Port Canaveral in a serious no-named storm. Butch said that if the winds were any stronger, the storm would have a name! The barf bags were out (and used quite a lot), people were falling (I think there were several injuries that first night), sick passengers, and sick crew members. Sail away events cancelled, pool sloshing out all it's water and closed. Well, we rocked, and rolled, and swayed, and slammed, and rocked, and rolled, until early Sunday morning before arriving in Nassau. All was well after that. Until....while sitting on the beach in St. Maarten, watching the coroner taking away a body bag off the Dream.

 

....:( That sounds like a very difficult start to a cruise for sure! Those no-named storms will get you every time!

[golfadj]

He retired and opened up a new business near Orlando

 

 

Must be the guy on the right steering pontoon boat. Believe the capt still responsible even if pilot screws up.

[jljlinda]

During May of this year (2011), while sailing an itinerary on the Carnival Dream, my wife and I experienced a bit of a nightmare while being tendered from Belieze back to the ship as the tender captain took us into (or, at least, near) an active water spout. Visibility was near zero for a period of time and we were frightened beyond description. Thought for a while it just might be our last boat ride ever!

 

If interested, more info can be found at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1408127

[TrqoisWtrs]

Cruised with a co-worker. Co-worker ended up getting really drunk and passed out on me in the cabin. Called 911 and ship's crew came. She was removed from the ship and taken to hospital in Nassau. Checked herself out of the hospital against doc orders and because of that ship wouldn't let her back on. So I sailed home from Nassau minus one co-worker. In all seriousness, really enjoyed the rest of my solo trip. :) Although going back to work was another story.

[5waldos]

During May of this year (2011), while sailing an itinerary on the Carnival Dream, my wife and I experienced a bit of a nightmare while being tendered from Belieze back to the ship as the tender captain took us into (or, at least, near) an active water spout. Visibility was near zero for a period of time and we were frightened beyond description. Thought for a while it just might be our last boat ride ever!

 

If interested, more info can be found at:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1408127

 

But the stories you have! That is the great part about adventures- afterwards. Does sound quite scary.

[sjn911]

My own story was not exactly on a cruise but on a ferry boat going over to the Greek Islands from a small port in Turkey. We hit what amounted to a hurricane- 30-40 ft seas, huge winds- I truly thought I was going to die. I already had travelers tummy, got violently seasick, and clung to an outside pole with a crew member wrapped around me so I didn't go overboard. The ship- all of about 60 ft long- was leaving the water and smashing down. We got to the greek port and it was closed so we had to turn around and go back. We got back to port and for 2 days were battered- no power, no news, no idea what was going on.

 

Everytime someone mentions to me a lovely cruise through the Greek Islands I begin to panic. Never- I could never imagine such a thing.

How awful..well my first cruise was 2nd part of an American Express trip to Greece and Holy Lands..and it was a small 50's ship..originally an Irish passenger transport liner that Epirotiki...a Greek liner bought...It was tiny ship but nice and nice waters, probably last 2 weeks of June 1980...how awful to get that kind of scare...Sarah

 

Only funny issue was miniscule insides, solos with one drop down cot bunk..I fell out of that thing several times and was a twin sleeper to date at that time..and skinny..but it was so narrow..so I got sick one day and missed Santorini..boo hoo..not bad water related..but I fell out of that bunk both anchored and in route...LOL..so tiny...Sarah